Thanks for Shining a Light: To the dozens of volunteers who contributed their time, talents and treasure to First Presbyterian’s Lighthouse hosting week, a sincere thank-you. Efforts big, small and in-between made a huge difference in the lives of nearly 35 men, women and children, and gave them hope and a sense of dignity where little may have once existed. This marquee event in First Presbyterian’s mission efforts would not have been possible without you. Chris & Emily Davis
P.S. A very special thank you to Chris and Emily Davis from their First Pres church family for coordinating this phenomenal mission outreach again and directing a smooth-running operation of dedicated volunteers who provided support and a welcoming home to our Lighthouse guests.
February is a month of showing love:
We are collecting feminine hygiene products to pass along to some of our favorite local charities: CARES, Neighborhood House, HAVEN and Freedom House. If you prefer, the Mission Team will make the purchase for you. Every Sunday during the month of February, a member of the Mission Team will be collecting donations and passing out hearts to be added to our display. Bridge cards (aka food stamps) cannot be used to purchase feminine hygiene products, essential items of daily living for half the population. We are very good at helping, so let’s join together and show our love.
Lydia Circle discusses books on Feb. 11: The ladies of Lydia will talk about two memoirs, “Educated” by Tara Westover and “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls, at their February meeting. If you would like to join us (read one or both or neither of the books), you are most welcome. We will meet in the Garden Room (Parlor) on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Talk to Kathy Brown, Sue Carlson, Ann Collins-Carey, Dale Hawkins, Karen McCullough or Dawn Archey if you would like to participate. Lydia Circle offers bible study, fellowship, and community outreach as well as occasional book study.
Men’s Breakfast Announcement: Doug Kee will be our guest speaker for the Men’s Breakfast on Saturday morning, Feb. 15. Breakfast is at 8:00 a.m. and Doug will speak afterwards about the Marion Medical Mission (www.mmmwater.org). He is from First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth and has travelled to Malawi in Africa as a volunteer with them for the past 11 years to install much needed water wells. Come learn about his trip and what it has accomplished. All congregation members are welcome to attend the breakfast.
Ash Wednesday worship service on Feb. 26
We will observe Ash Wednesday with a worship service on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. Please join us as we mark the start of the Lenten period leading up to Easter and the resurrection of our Lord.
Lenten Study: He Chose the Nails, by Max Lucado. In “He Chose the Nails,” a five-session video Bible study, Max Lucado continues examining the gifts that Christ gave at his crucifixion. Every gift from God reveals God’s love, but no gift reveals God’s love more than the gift of the cross. These gifts came not wrapped in paper but in passion. They were not placed around a tree but around a cross. The cross is rich with God’s gifts of grace, and as we unwrap them, we will hear him whisper, “I did it just for you.” Join Pastor Eddie Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. from March 3 – 31. Books are available in the church office at a cost of $10 each. Write Lenten Study Book on your check memo line please.
Walking in Their Shoes/Poverty Simulation
How many of us know what it’s like to wonder where our next meal is coming from, will we be able to pay the heating bill, how can we get to the doctor’s office on the other side of town without a car?
Participation in a Poverty Simulation offers a view into the struggle that many people have in relationship to gaining self-sufficiency. First Presbyterian Church of Farmington invites you to participate in a Poverty Simulation led by COTS (Creating Opportunities to Succeed) on Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m. The participants will assume the roles of different families facing poverty. The task of the “families” is to provide for basic necessities and shelter during the course of the “month” by living on a limited budget and interacting with volunteers playing the roles of bill collectors, school administrators, service providers, and more.
The experience lasts about 2-½ hours including the simulation exercise and a debriefing period in which participants and actors share their feelings and experiences, and learn about ways they can get involved in reducing poverty in our community.
We need to let COTS know the specific number of participants in advance, so please reserve your place by Sunday, Feb. 16 on Eventbrite (https://fpcf-povertysimulation.eventbrite.com) or signing up in the narthex after worship. Please respect your commitment to attend. Any extra spaces will be offered to other faith communities. We will be accepting a free-will offering to offset some of the expense. (You can also sign-up in the Narthex if you don’t have or use a smart phone.)
Annual PWPD Women’s Retreat:
Join us as we host the annual Presbyterian Women’s Retreat “Deeper into the Heart of God” featuring Keynote Speaker Sharon Garlough Brown, author of “Sensible Shoes, A Story about the Spiritual Journey.” Enjoy a day of fun and fellowship on Saturday, March 14, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. here. There is a $30 registration fee, which includes a hot, catered lunch. Contact Nancy Cook, Sally Kirsten or Sue Carlson or pick up a brochure from the PW bulletin board or the welcome table. All women are welcome!
Orchard Lake Philharmonic presents Overtures to Spring: Under the direction of Norman A. Logan, OLP will do two performances on Friday, March 6 at 3:00 and 7:30 PM at First Presbyterian Church of Farmington. The Orchestra opens the concert with von Suppe’s Light Cavalry Overture, the Concertino for Trumpet by Hummel with Erik Nieman performing the solo, Beethoven’s Fur Elise for Orchestra, and ending with Howard Hanson’s Symphony #2, “Romantic”. Definitely an enjoyable concert of music. Tickets are $5 for the afternoon and by donation for the evening concert. For more info visit: www://orchardlakephil.org.
Operation Nametag Update: New nametags were created during Lighthouse Week, but the job isn’t finished. See a nametag that needs an update or needs to be removed? Is there a nametag missing? Are you first aid or CPR-trained? Get in touch with Chris Davis at [email protected] so we can keep the tags current and so we can identify those in the pews who have lifesaving skills. (Also — please wear your nametags during worship so we can greet one another by name and be welcoming to guests!)
2020 Per Capita: The Presbyterian Church is a “connectional” church where we interact through the Presbytery of Detroit, the Synod of the Covenant and the General Assembly. These councils are funded by the “Per Capita” on each of our active members. For 2020, the Per Capita amount is $30.55. (Of that, $8.95 supports the General Assembly; $3.25 supports the Synod of the Covenant; and $18.35 is for the Presbytery of Detroit.) As a church, we will be paying a total of $9,678.45. We ask that you please contribute $30.55 for each member of your household confirmation age and above to help offset this amount. Checks may be made payable to the First Presbyterian Church of Farmington with memo line “Per Capita.”
Check out the church’s Facebook Page! For those of you who use Facebook, if you have not “liked” our church page, please start by looking up First Presbyterian Church of Farmington and clicking the “like” icon. Once you have “liked” the page you will receive interesting church news including notice of upcoming events. We need as many people as possible to “like” our page AND for those who are on Facebook to “like” and “share” events and happenings at the church on our timeline. Sharing is a great way to spread the good news about First Pres! Like, share and comment on our Facebook postings at fb.me/FirstPresbyterianChurchofFarmington.
